1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image storing apparatus having storing means for storing image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known digital photocopiers which have large-capacity hard disk (HD) drives. Such large-capacity hard disk drives are mainly used for executing electronic sorting functions.
Electronic sorting functions consist of repetitively performing the actions of: reading an image of the original to be photocopied, storing the image data in a hard disk, and reading out this image data, thereby printing the photocopy. Such an arrangement allows for outputting the copies in sorted order without having a sorter device with a plurality of bins. Also, as such, an arrangement can be made wherein the digital photocopier receives PDL (Page Description Language) data from a host computer via a network, renders the PDL into bit-mapped image data, temporarily stores the image data on the hard disk in the same manner as described above, and prints copies by reading the image data from the memory.
Recently an arrangement has been proposed wherein the storage area of the hard disk is separated into sections, each for personal use, the image data received from the host computer is temporarily stored in the area (personal box) specified by the host computer, and the image is printed from the image data stored in the personal box. The image data stored in the personal box is printed by a user entering a password from the operating unit of the photocopier to access the storage area allocated to himself/herself. Accordingly, the image data stored in the personal box of the owner thereof cannot be accessed by others, so there is no danger of the image data being accessed by others.
However, since the host computer can specify any personal box and send image data there, image data from various users is stored in the personal box.
Accordingly, the personal box easily becomes full, and in the event that the personal box becomes full, there is the problem that the personal box cannot be used in that state.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image storing apparatus which solves the above problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image storing apparatus which enables effective use of the personal boxes.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken into connection with the drawings.